Black Girls Rock! is not just an awards show, it’s a year-round organization that helps empower young women. Its founder, DJ Beverly Bond has a summer camp that assists young women in finding their passion and their voice. Jacque Reid talks to Bond about what she hopes young women will get out of her program.

“We are in a time period of social unrest like we’ve never seen before,” says Bond. “Civic engagement and social action is a big part of this year’s conference. It’s important for them to find their voices and find their own truth and their own agency. We’re trying to help them do that by offering workshops in cultural literacy, media literacy and financial literacy. We have empowerment classes, we have great TED talks. They have the arts and poetry and music. Helping our kids define their voices especially in this time where they’re seeing so much negativity directed at them and when educational systems are not not necessarily giving our kids the best we’re coming in and doing the work that needs to be done.”

Bond has been doing Black Girls Rock Inc! for years before the award show was televised. Her organization was founded to raise the self-esteem of Black girls and also, to teach them to DJ as Bond, then and now offers DJ’ing classes. Over the years, the organization evolved into the multifaceted one you see today.

A young woman at the festival asked about the safety of her two brothers, one younger and one older, and the discussion that ensued was as Bond described it “spicy.” (Some people think that altercations should be deescalated regardless, others believe that legally, you are allowed to and should assert your rights.) The young woman who spoke out and started crying is the daughter of the mayor of a major city. As you can imagine, no consensus was reached.

“There is a time when we have to stop thinking that we have to stay in our place and be calm,” says Bond. “But at the same time, concerned parents including principal Nadia Lopez, said that she has to make a conscious effort to bring it down. It doesn’t mean that you don’t fight the power, maybe you just don’t do it in the moment.”

Bond says she’s excited about the future after the conference.

“They are prepared to be leaders and to focus on bringing out the best of what they have to offer. They are prepared to try to make a difference in the world in a positive way. So I am hopeful.”

Comedian Benji Brown joins the TJMS in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at the National Urban League Conference for a live comedy jam, where he introduces a new character!

Listen to the funny above!

]]>http://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/31/live-benji-browns-five-minute-comedy-jam-listen/feed/0benjibrown-660bawkrystalfranklinMC Lyte Is At The National Urban League, Celebrates 26 Years In Musichttp://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/31/mc-lyte-is-at-the-national-urban-league-celebrates-26-years-in-music/
http://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/31/mc-lyte-is-at-the-national-urban-league-celebrates-26-years-in-music/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 12:38:11 +0000http://blackamericaweb.com/?p=421404]]>https://ioneblackamericaweb.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/073115lyte.mp3

Rap legend MC Lyteis at the Urban League Conference in Ft. Laurderdale, FL hosting several events. The rap star and Brooklyn native responsible for the hits “I Cram To Understand You (Sam)” “Paper Thin” and “Ruffneck” among others got started at 16 and is considered among the genre’s most beloved artists. But she says at one point, fame become overwhelming.

“At a certain point I had gotten so tired of being recognized that I wished it all away. And then it went all away and I had to work really hard to gain some notoriety back. I was young. I started out at 16. It was a lot. In New York City, I couldn’t go anywhere without having to work.”

Lyte made the move to L.A., something that helped her career and her personal life.

“That really helped. They see people all the time. I got to rollerblade on the beach and climb mountains,” she says.

What’s most impressive about Lyte is that she’s lasted 26 years in a career that eats up artists very quickly. And perhaps more impressive, she’s maintained a reputation as one of the most respected MC’s/artists in the business. She’s at the Urban League to continue her mission of reaching out to and inspiring young people.

“I love to see the young people. That’s my mission. I love being able to talk to them. You asked me about pitfalls. The young people, they don’t necessarily need to do it. Sometimes, it’s like ‘I hear what you’re saying but I need to learn that lesson myself.’ This generation, if you talk to them about pitfalls and how hard it can be to get out of them, they’re ready to listen and make the adjustment.”

Her new release Legend is out now. The new single “Last Time” features Coko and Faith Evans. It was released in stores for one day, but now you can access it via the brand new MC Lyte app. You can get that HERE.

A lot of folks think about Miami and Key West when it comes to Florida vacations, but there are at least two people who think prospective Florida vacationers should add Ft. Lauderdale to that list. Although it’s within a half hour from Miami, it doesn’t have that city’s party reputation, but it does have plenty of advantages. Albert Tucker, VP Multicultural Business Development and Nicki Grossman, President of Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau are among the people responsible for bringing the National Urban League and other initiatives to Florida. They want you to know that Ft. Lauderdale is an amazing destination.

“We’ve got a variety of beaches. There are eight different types of beaches in Fort Lauderdale,” says Grossman. “You can go rustic, and see beautiful sand dunes in some of them, you can do diving 100 years offshore or you can just shop and eat at some of them.”

Grossman says that the challenge in attracting visitors is that, well, there’s plenty of competition, and its nearby. But the Urban League held its annual convention there because of the city’s rich history and current accommodations.

“There’s no community that has the same sense of mission and purpose as Broward County does as it comes to the mission and purpose of the National Urban League. They reflect us and we reflect them. You’ve got to have something no one else has, and we believe we have something no one else has.”

Tucker says that the Urban League has brought more than $10 million to the community and that money is going back into the community. Their initiative ‘Black Dollars Matter’ means that African-American groups and visitors are welcome in the city. Ft. Lauderdale, a city of 1.8 million is over 50% Black. When the Urban League leaves, they will be replaced by the American Tennis Association and the National Black Elected Officials groups, meeting in the city in the next few weeks.

‘We have a targeted initiative to talk to people in their language and to spend money on them as well,” says Tucker.

Grossman says that the billions of dollars the city makes in tourism annually does show up in support for Black businesses in the area.

“One of the interesting things about our visitors is that they spent $1.5 billion in the destination. With the Urban League here, that’s Black hands spending green dollars into Black businesses. That’s one of our goals is that the small, minority-owned businesses in this community share in the profit of being a tourism destination. Nothing does that better than the Urban League.”

SingerJazmine Sullivan is hanging out with the Tom Joyner Morning Show in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at the Urban League Conference. Her latest album Reality Show was released to great reviews. But for a minute, Sullivan wasn’t even sure she’d be back in the music business. She tweeted a few years ago that she was giving up music as her fans mourned the loss of one of the true vocalists left.

“I was taking a break,” Sullivan says now. “But I will say I didn’t think it would be three years, four years later. I happened to be in a relationship at that time and it wasn’t good for me. You know how sometimes you lose yourself in a relationship, especially when its not good.

I kind of lost myself in the relationship. I had put so much energy in trying to make it work. But it wasn’t supposed to work. Once you end the relationship, you have to deal with whatever was in you that put you in a relationship that’s not good. So I had to do some soul searching.”

Sullivan writes most of her songs and that relationships turned up in her music. Bust Your Windows was a big hit for her, and she says, yep, it’s a true story.

“We’ve all been in a place where you wanted to get revenge,” says Sullivan. “Maybe you didn’t bust the windows out, but I did. That’s what I chose to do. But I didn’t catch no case.”

To listen to Jazmine perform her hits Let It Burn and Bust Your Windows live, click the link below:

Nile Rodgers is best known today as the founder of the 70’s group Chic and a Grammy Award-winning guitarist/producer who has worked with everyone from Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Madonna and countless other stars. What some may not know is that as a teenager, Rodgers was part of the The Black Panther Party For Self-Defense and was aligned with some of the group’s most infamous names.

Rodgers led an interesting life before his international acclaim as a super-producer. He played in both the Sesame Street and Apollo Theater bands. After a drug-induced jam session with guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, Rodgers joined the Black Panther’s Harlem branch in hopes of emulating Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara and other similar activists of the time.

Joining Rodgers in the group as a “Panther Baby” was fellow teen Jamal Joseph, who was part of the infamous “Panther 21” group accused and later acquitted of widespread bombings and attacks in New York City.

Rodgers’ time in the Panthers inspired the Chic song “At Last I Am Free” after police attacked him and his associates in Central Park one night, barely escaping prison or death. Although the song doesn’t explicitly reference the incident, in a 2011 interview with The Guardian, Rodgers explained the inspiration behind the track.

Rodgers and Joseph, now a filmmaker and Columbia University professor, have regularly appeared together in speaking engagements and special events related to the Panthers. Rodgers also counts Kathleen Cleaver, once the Minister of Communication and the highest ranking woman in the Black Panther Party, and Afeni Shakur, one of the Panther 21 and rapper Tupac Shakur’s mother, as close friends.

]]>http://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/31/little-known-black-history-fact-nile-rodgers-and-the-black-panthers/feed/0NileRodgers-660bawtonyapendletonSAD NEWS: Reality TV Star Tami Roman Suffers a Miscarriagehttp://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/30/sad-news-reality-tv-star-tami-roman-suffers-a-miscarriage/
http://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/30/sad-news-reality-tv-star-tami-roman-suffers-a-miscarriage/#commentsThu, 30 Jul 2015 21:36:19 +0000http://blackamericaweb.com/?p=421371]]>Tami Roman, 45, and her boyfriend, Reggie Youngblood, 28, released a statement earlier today revealing they have suffered from a miscarriage. The couple revealed they were expecting back in June.

TMZ reports the couple is asking for privacy during this difficult time in an exclusive statement released to the site. The statement explains the couple is “mourning their loss with close friends and family. The couple requests prayers and privacy as they get through this difficult time.”

Tami has two children from a previous relationship and this would have been Reggie’s first child.

I love my mom but she has a serious problem: she doesn’t know how to relax! To begin with, she has been a full-time second grade teacher at Miami park elementary school for 27 years. During that time, she somehow managed to be a fully involved wife and mother of 3.

not only that, for over 30 years, my mama has been a full time pastor of an inner city church for over 30 years in liberty city…she’s no regular pastor though!

My pastor mom goes above & beyond the pulpit. She preaches the gospel in a low-income area. Most of the money that it takes to run the church comes from a few faithful members of the congregation. Plus, every Sunday, the church feeds almost 100 homeless people.

Her true passion is to minister to and help as many people as she can and she does so with no regard for herself. She has gone as far as to open her doors to over 15 homeless families that “I” know of.

I know it will probably rub off on me when I get older but this woman is the definition of selflessness, and despite her own hypertension issues, she only cares about everyone else’s well-being.

As you know, it’s time to go “back to school.” Teachers report for duty on august 16th and the kids come back august 24th. I would like for her to take a break and do something for herself before the school year begins.

7/30/15- The Celebrity Snitch has some heartbreaking news! Is it the end of Kylie and Tyga? He think so. Click the link above to hear him reveal who the Lindsey Graham of football is and what his new fetish is.

7/30/15- Click the link above to hear how team light skin won, why you can’t possibly win and what one singer’s vibrator is asking for. You won’t believe this!

]]>http://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/30/morning-minute-a-victory-for-team-light-skin-you-cant-win-please-kill-me/feed/0billboard-morningminute11bawchrispaulDon Lemon: An Indictment Is Just The Start In The Sam Dubose Casehttp://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/30/don-lemon-an-indictment-is-just-the-start-in-the-sam-dubose-case/
http://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/30/don-lemon-an-indictment-is-just-the-start-in-the-sam-dubose-case/#commentsThu, 30 Jul 2015 11:54:43 +0000http://blackamericaweb.com/?p=421097]]>https://ioneblackamericaweb.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/073015lemon.mp3

Samuel Dubose was killed almost two weeks ago in Cincinnati, Ohio in a traffic stop that ended up being anything but routine.

Luckily the entire incident was captured on the officer’s body camera.

That video is the main reason 25-year old Ray Tensing was indicted yesterday for murder and is now in jail.

When I interviewed Samuel Dubose’s mother Audrey Dubose last night on CNN she said the indictment was somewhat of a relief.

“It’s overwhelming, yes. I’m so glad that they are doing something about this. I’m so glad that the man that murdered my son is in jail now, he’s been arrested. It’s a great relief. It feels like I’m getting some justice here and I thank God for it.”

The family says they believe there would have been some justice served even without the video, but the video vindicated Dubose’s reputation.

Here’s Dubose’s sister Terina Dubose Allen:

“I do believe we would have gotten some kind of a result only because the university police had communicated that Sam had not dragged the police officer as had been communicated to the public. But I don’t believe that Sam’s reputation, whatever we would have gotten, it would have been drowned out by the defamation of his character that had been occurring ever since he was murdered last Sunday.

At the press conference announcing the indictment, the prosecutor called the incident a “chicken crap” stop for pulling over someone for no front license plate.

Soul singer Chrisette Michele talks about her current EP Lyricists Opus, that will be released as a full CD in November on her own label, Rich Hipster. Her first single is out September 6, with a full release coming in November.

“The EP has been really fun to sing and play but we’re working on a new record called Milestone Minimalism,” says Michele. She says her songs, which have helped Sherri Shepherd and many others get through some rough times, are definitely influenced by her relationships.

“I’ve had some really tough relationships and I’ve been incredibly brokenhearted and I’ve been incredibly healed,” Michele says. Her song ‘Best of Me’ was inspired by Babyface, who was going through a divorce at the time. “When I finished, he said ‘You just wrote that just now?’ Sometimes you just feel somebody’s energy and its easier to write about them than yourself. It’s a little embarrassing to its easier to pull what you’re feeling from somebody else.”

As for her love life now, Chrisette says, she’s in love with herself and the Lord. “I”m having a new kind of spiritual life and it’s greater that I’ve ever had. I’ve sat with Kirk Franklin and Kim Burrell and they’ve been pulling out of me things that I never knew that I had. My love life is in music right now,” says Michele.

Michele is influenced by more than love. Her song “Make Us One” is about the colorism she experienced while in Africa.

As for her foray into the R&B Divas reality world, Michele says that she’s not going back to that venue.

“I didn’t like that show,” says Michele. “It was fun being followed around with cameras all day. That’s a blast. I feel very famous and it’s Hollywood. I didn’t like it when it comes on television. I didn’t mind the edits, because my responses were my responses. It was those circumstances that I didn’t create.”

Michele is much more excited about her new label. But she says being her own boss can be challenging.

“It’s a little intimidating because I can be harsh and give myself a lot of pressure,” she says. “And my shoe closet is pretty bad. I’ve got to just tell myself Yes or No sometimes. You have to have discipline, especially with spending for album creation. You want a full orchestra but sometimes you might have to get four strings and stack them a few times.”

Michele is performing with Boney James and Brian McKnight tomorrow night in Dallas, July 31st.

Bob “Butterbean” Love is a former NBA player who became a standout player for the Chicago Bulls, but also struggled greatly with stuttering. Today, Love is an executive for the Bulls, but his journey back to his old team was not a cakewalk by any means.

Love was born December 8, 1942 in Bastrop, La. Love starred as a player at Southern University and was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in 1965. After failing to make the team his first year, Love played in the smaller Eastern Basketball League and earned himself a spot on the Royals roster.

However, it was his eight seasons for the Chicago Bulls that would prove to be his most productive. The 6-foot-8 forward was a three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Second Team selection. Despite this, Love avoided the limelight because of his speech issues. His stuttering was so bad, his teammates often had to speak for him.

Love is ranked third on the all-time scoring list for the Bulls and was the second player to have his jersey retired after former star, Jerry Sloan.

Love’s career ended in 1977 as a player for the Seattle Supersonics, which began the start of a downward post-retirement spiral.

He struggled to find work that didn’t require him to speak, and his wife at the time wasn’t supportive. He was recovering from back surgery when he returned home one night to an empty home. His wife left him and took what money they had left with a note saying she didn’t want to be married to someone who was a “cripple” and stuttered.

I am one of the pastors at Word of Faith Christian Ministries in West Palm Beach. I have known Carnell and Taketia Olofin as cherished members of our congregation. Over the last 5 years, Taketia has been battling cancer. It started as breast cancer and then it metastasized to bone cancer. They have a family of 8 kids ranging from 5-15.

From the time I have known both of them I have seen them endure this difficult journey and seen them try to be a blessing to everyone else. During this difficult time they have gone without water or lights and kept it to themselves.

For the first time in 5 years I thought for a second that Carnell was going to fall apart. Taketia has remained strong through it all even though her activities of daily living has greatly diminished. The truth of it all is over the last couple of months Carnell has heard she has 2-3 months to live.

Carnell has been laid off from his job—he has watched the love of his life health decline and it’s almost as if he has become a single dad. one of the things that makes him a man of integrity is 3 of her kids are not biologically his, but emotionally it makes little difference to him as he devotedly cares for each one.

The reason why this wish is so important to me is because I can’t help them myself. tom, because of the great work you do I wanted to reach out to see if you can help the olefin family with rent, a mobility scooter to aid Taketia and some of their everyday bills that are adding to their burden. Taketia’s eyes need to see that her family will be ok.

Veteran Comedian George Wallace is featured on tonight’s Unsung Hollywood on TV One. He talks to the Tom Joyner Morning Show about his famous friends included in the episode and his surprise that the show thought of him.

“When they first called, I was like, I don’t sing. It’s a good show, it’s a lot of good people on there. I’m very happy on this project. It’s probably one of the best things someone has ever done on me,” Wallace said.

7/29/15- Click the link above to hear the Celebrity Snitch dish on the engagement of two of the stars of Empire. He also details other big romances that started on set.

]]>http://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/29/huggy-lowdown-dre-lyons-boo-boo-kitty-engaged-romance-on-the-set/feed/0HuggyLowdownbawhuggylowdownRev. Al Sharpton On Lessons We Should Take From Tragedyhttp://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/29/rev-al-sharpton-on-lessons-we-should-take-from-tragedy/
http://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/29/rev-al-sharpton-on-lessons-we-should-take-from-tragedy/#commentsWed, 29 Jul 2015 13:37:02 +0000http://blackamericaweb.com/?p=420762]]>https://ioneblackamericaweb.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/072915sharpton.mp3

Rev. Al Sharpton talks about lessons we ought to take from tragedy in the wake of the Bobbi Kristina Brown‘s death.

“What makes people reach for drugs and alcohol? Do we really try to heal the problem? We need to take time to really care for the ones around us and dig deep. If we do that then we’re doing a great service to people that need to be healed,” Sharpton said.

7/29/15- Comedian Gary Owen is mad at his icons of the 80’s. Click the link above to hear who he’s afraid will bite the bullet next, why he doesn’t understand why Hulk Hogan is mad and what he does when his wife Kenya makes him upset.

7/29/15- Click the link above to hear Comedian Chris Paul dish on why brothers use to give Tom Brady a pass, how WNBA star Brittney Griner came up after her divorce and why Kroger says you should only eat white folks cooking.

]]>http://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/29/morning-minute-good-looking-out-dog-brittney-griners-come-up-white-peoples-cooking-only/feed/1billboard-morningminute11bawchrispaulTOP OF THE MORNING: How Could You Be So Stupid?, Little Blue Pills, Back To School Traumahttp://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/29/top-of-the-morning-how-could-you-be-so-stupid-little-blue-pills-back-to-school-trauma/
http://blackamericaweb.com/2015/07/29/top-of-the-morning-how-could-you-be-so-stupid-little-blue-pills-back-to-school-trauma/#commentsWed, 29 Jul 2015 09:00:22 +0000http://blackamericaweb.com/?p=420689]]>https://ioneblackamericaweb.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/072915top.mp3

7/29/15- Happy Wednesday! The TJMS crew is ringing in the day with the hottest topics! Click the link above to hear Tom, Sybil and J. ask Tom Brady the infamous question of his career, why Joe Jackson almost went out, but in the best way possible and why all the parents are frustrated around this time of the year.

I believe my father deserves to be selected to be a real father winner because he is amazing. After my parents divorced my father raised me and my sister. From adolescence to womanhood he taught us everything. He has always has been there for us in every way.

However, that is both a blessing and a curse because I have recently fallen upon very difficult times which ultimately led to homelessness.

My father has given to me and my children to help us live day to day. Even though his home is too small to house us, he’s paying for us to reside in a motel until I catch up and reestablish myself. This great gift has exhausted his savings. He has never complained—not once. But I know it’s taxing him.

My father is from Montgomery, al. I know it may not seem like much but he really loves to travel home to reminisce and more importantly visit his parents’ grave.

Because of my current problems he has spent the money he would have used to cover gas to drive and have accommodations. I am desperate to find a way to surprise him with this. He loves his parents dearly and says that the only thing he wanted to do was visit them. Tom can you please help me make his dream come true?